Arm & Hammer Baking Soda is marking the third annual Baking Soda Rocket Day in October with a hands-on science activity designed to help families and students build and launch homemade rockets using common household materials.
The initiative has reached more than 200,000 students since it began in 2023, according to a community announcement. The brand is partnering with aerospace engineer, television host and space traveler Emily Calandrelli, known online as @TheSpaceGal, to demonstrate how baking soda and vinegar can be used to create a simple science experiment that illustrates pressure and chemical reactions.
The activity is intended to bring STEAM learning into homes by giving children an opportunity to build a rocket, observe a chemical reaction
and see the results firsthand.
How the baking soda rocket works
Build Your Own Baking Soda Rocket and Watch It Launch
Turn everyday ingredients into a hands-on STEAM adventure. Using Arm & Hammer Baking Soda, kids can build, launch and learn from a simple rocket experiment that demonstrates chemistry in action.
Start your rocket mission
Participants can make the rocket using an empty two-liter soda bottle, cardstock, three tablespoons of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda, three cups of vinegar, a paper towel, three pencils, duct tape, a cork and decorative items such as markers, paint or stickers.
Safety goggles should be worn throughout the activity.
To assemble the rocket, participants decorate a piece of cardstock and wrap it around an empty soda bottle. Three pencils are attached with duct tape to act as support legs and help the rocket stand upright.
After pouring three cups of vinegar into the bottle, participants place three tablespoons of baking soda in the center of a small paper towel. The towel is rolled around the baking soda and folded into a packet.
The packet is placed inside the bottle without allowing it to mix with the vinegar. A cork is then inserted into the bottle opening to keep the packet in place.
Build your rocket
Launching the rocket
For launch, the rocket should be taken outdoors to an open area. Participants turn the bottle upside down so the baking soda mixes with the vinegar, place the rocket on its pencil supports and move a safe distance away.
According to the announcement, the reaction creates pressure inside the bottle, eventually causing the rocket to lift off.
Arm & Hammer said the annual event is designed to encourage curiosity and exploration through hands-on science while showing how everyday household ingredients can support STEAM-focused learning activities.
Learn more about Baking Soda Rocket Day
USA TODAY Shopping will be covering all the best Amazon deals, so be sure to sign up for text alerts, follow us on TikTok, check us out on Flipboard, sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Instagram to stay updated!
This story was produced with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at https://cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How families can build a baking soda rocket at home this October
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
